Karatas Backwaren GmbH Signs First Rheindocks Lease at Beos-Developed Werft68 in Düsseldorf

DÜSSELDORF, Germany — Sept. 10, 2026 — Beos, the commercial real estate development arm of Swiss Life Asset Managers, has signed its first lease at the Rheindocks, the newly built light-industrial section of the Werft68 business park in Düsseldorf-Holthausen. Karatas Backwaren GmbH, a baked-goods manufacturer, has agreed to a 10-year lease covering approximately 3,500 square meters of hall and office space across two units in Block A of the Rheindocks, the firm announced.

Space handover is scheduled for mid-September 2026, with operations expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The deal represents the first leasing milestone for the Rheindocks component of Werft68, following earlier leasing activity in the project's revitalized existing-building section, known as the Loftworks.

Deal Details: Karatas Backwaren GmbH Takes Two Units in Block A

Karatas Backwaren GmbH will occupy two units in Block A of the Rheindocks, located at Reisholzer Werftstraße 68, 40589 Düsseldorf-Holthausen. The approximately 3,500 square meters combines hall space suited to production and storage with attached office areas, a configuration aligned with the tenant's manufacturing operations. The lease runs for a fixed term of 10 years.

The Düsseldorf Office of Economic Development accompanied the transaction.

Cihat Karatas, managing director of Karatas Backwaren GmbH, said the location fits the company's long-term corporate goals. "The modern spaces offer us optimal conditions for our further development. We thank Beos AG for the professional and partnership-oriented cooperation throughout the entire leasing process and look forward to moving into our new location in Düsseldorf," he said.

Rheindocks: A New-Build, Sustainability-Focused Industrial Campus

The Rheindocks is a newly developed light-industrial and logistics park within the broader Werft68 quarter, designed for production, trades, light industrial, storage, and logistics uses. Modular units start at approximately 1,200 square meters of hall space, with office components from around 270 square meters, allowing flexible configurations for a range of occupier sizes.

The campus incorporates more than 3,000 photovoltaic modules, heat pump technology, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The project is targeting DGNB Gold certification.

Werft68 as a whole spans approximately 64,300 square meters on a former industrial site in Düsseldorf's southern district. Beos is developing around 41,000 square meters of commercial space across the site, combining the Loftworks — revitalized existing buildings offering office, showroom, and research-and-development space — with the Rheindocks new-build industrial park.

Leasing Trajectory: From Loftworks to Rheindocks

Prior to the Karatas Backwaren GmbH signing, Beos had already secured tenants for the Loftworks portion of Werft68, including the BFT Group. The Rheindocks lease marks what Beos describes as the next step in the development of the overall quarter, moving the new-build industrial component from speculative to income-producing.

Jochen Butz, Head Real Estate Development Light Industrial & Commercial Region Köln at Beos, said the signing is an ideal start for the Rheindocks. "With Karatas Backwaren we are gaining a company that fits excellently with our usage concept. The first letting is an ideal start for the new light-industrial component of Werft68," Butz said. He added that discussions with additional prospective tenants for the remaining available space are already underway.

Market Context: Urban Industrial Demand in Düsseldorf-Holthausen

Düsseldorf-Holthausen sits in Düsseldorf's southern corridor near the Reisholzer Hafen port area, offering connectivity to the regional and supra-regional transport network. Beos has cited the submarket's infrastructure links and its position within one of Germany's strongest economic regions as key drivers of occupier interest in Werft68.

Additional space remains available at the Rheindocks. Further information on the project is available at werft68.de/rheindocks.

Sources

Swiss Life Asset Managers press release, Sept. 10, 2026: https://www.swisslife-am.com/de/home/media/news/germany/institutional/260910_BEOS-erzielt-ersten-Vermietungserfolg-fuer-die-Rheindocks-im-Gewerbequartier-Werft68.html